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Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Do low-carb Diets Work?

Answer: Yes. People lose more weight during the first six
months of a low-carb diet than they do on other kinds.

But after one year, the
various diets even out.

There are countless variations of the low-carb diet. Some plans allow all the
cheese, bacon, and Béarnaise sauce you can eat, while others limit food loaded
with saturated fat in favour of skinless chicken breasts and low-fat cottage
cheese. The common denominator: They all restrict carbs and help dieters shed
pounds, at least in the short term.

There's little doubt that low-carb diets speed initial weight loss. In one
recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
after 12 weeks on a low-carb plan, study participants lost an average of 10.8
pounds compared to 5.5 pounds for those on a low-fat diet.

It's little wonder these diets work: A low-carb diet is basically a
low-calorie diet with a high protein content. Sure, removing a bun from a
burger, eating a salad instead of fries, and opting for diet soda over regular
makes for a lower-carb meal, but it's also a lower-calorie meal. What's more, low-carb
diets are typically easier to stick with because the protein and fat in these
plans help dieters feel full. In one study, during a 12-week phase of
unrestricted total calorie intake of a high-protein, low-fat diet, researchers
found that people spontaneously ate 450 fewer calories per day and reported
feeling more satisfied than those on a high-carbohydrate diet.

But here's the catch: Studies show that at one year, the weight loss on a
low-carb diet tends to equal that on a low-cal diet, possibly because people
get tired of eating bread less sandwiches and shunning rice.

Are low-carb diets more effective for some people than for
others?

Answer:Yes. What it takes to fit back into your
skinny jeans is as much about your other genes as about what you put in your
mouth.

Some people are genetically programmed to react to carbohydrates by
secreting an oversize dose of insulin and they will probably benefit most from
a low-carb diet.

How do you know if your DNA fits the bill?

Look in the mirror. If you
store fat in your belly (an "apple" body shape), you're more likely
to secrete excess insulin than if you store fat in or around your hips (a
"pear" body shape). For a more scientific approach, pull out a tape
measure and measure your waist at the belly button. Then measure your hips at
their widest part (where your derrière is largest) and divide your waist
measurement by your hip measurement. For women, a result of 0.8 or less
indicates a normal or low insulin secretor; for men, it's 0.95 or less.